The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Prunus incisa, which has been given the varietal name ‘FPMSPL’. Nick Dunn discovered the new tree in a production field of Prunus incisa ‘Snow Showers’ as a chance branch sport growing in a cultivated area of a nursery in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, England. This cultivated area also contained other seedling and varietal Prunus trees. The new variety differed from these other seedlings and varieties of Prunus trees growing in this area by its variegated white and yellow-green summer foliage color and variegated green, red-purple, grey-orange (brown), orange-red and red-purple (pink) fall foliage color.
The parentage of this tree is unknown, but it is definitely a Prunus incisa type tree. Representative varieties within this species include ‘February Pink’, ‘Kojo-no-mai’, ‘Mikinori’, ‘Oshidori Princess’, ‘Pendula’, ‘Praecox’ and ‘Snow Showers’.
The original tree was found as a single variegated branch sport from Prunus incisa ‘Snow Showers’ and at that time, grafting wood was collected and grafted on Prunus avium, then planted in a liner field. Having recognized this tree as unique, the inventor transplanted the new tree to a landscape setting adjacent to the nursery property in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, England in the spring of 2006, where it has remained since that time. It is now about 5 years old from a grafted liner. Plants of the new variety have been asexually reproduced in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, England. The characteristics of the new variety have been found to be strictly transmittable and the variety reliably reproduces true to form from one generation to another.
The description of this new Prunus incisa variety is based on observations of five-year old plants growing in Tenbury, Wells, Worcestershire, England.